The 'Men in Blue' have completely dominated the 2023 ODI World Cup, sweeping all eight of their matches so far. India has faced little resistance throughout the tournament, a trend that continued when Rohit Sharma's team decimated second-seeded South Africa by 243 runs. The victory was comprehensive across all departments, but it was a historic day for Virat Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 101 to match Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record for ODI centuries.
Men in Blue has been a dominant force in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, winning all eight matches so far. So far, no other side has given team India much of a fight, and a similar scene was witnessed when Rohit Sharma-led side faced second-placed South Africa, whom they annihilated by 243 runs. Although India secured the victory with an all-around performance, Virat Kohli in particular had a lot to celebrate. Kohli scored an unbeaten 101 to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record of slamming the most ODI centuries.
Shreyas Iyer was also instrumental, scoring 77 from 87 balls and helping Kohli build a third-wicket partnership that surpassed a century. Gautam Gambhir, a former Indian opener, described their brilliance by saying they looked like they were batting 'on another planet.'
Gambhir pointed out that this pitch wasn't like those in Delhi or at Wankhede, where conditions stay favorable. Here, the game became much harder as it went on, which is why he feels Kohli and Iyer's efforts were even more impressive than those of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
According to Gambhir, the spin attack was the main threat. He noted that while Keshav Maharaj only gave up around 30 runs, the fact that he only took one wicket was the real win, as it forced South Africa to bring their fast bowlers back into play. The bowling effort was just as strong as the batting, with Ravindra Jadeja standing out as the top performer after taking five wickets.